Supercharger oiling system



Dec. 9, 1930. D GREGG 1,784,433

SUPERCHARGER OILING SYSTEM Filed June 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 9,1930. 0. swam"; 3,784,433

SUPERCHARGER OILING SYSTEM Filed June 4, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 t 1 49am92 w W am? Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I DAVIDGREGG, OF FLINT," HICH IGAN, ASSIGNOB TO A. O SPARK PIUG COMPANY, OI

FLINT, MICHIGAN, A COHPAN Y OF MICHIGAN BUP-E'RCHARGEB OILING SYSTEMApplication filed .Tune 4, 1928 Serial No. 282,681.

This invention relates to a system of lubrication for superchargers usedin connection with internal combustion engines applied to automotivevehicles.

In the past some diificulty has been experienced in properly lubricatingsuperchargers due to their excessive speed and the large amount of heatdeveloped. There has also been experienced considerable diificulty insupplying the proper amount of oil; or in cases where an excess of oilhas been supplied,

it has been more or less of a roblem to satisfactorily and convenientlyispose of the excess oil.

' The present invention eliminates these difliculties of priorconstructions and incorporates in a supercharger of the blade type asystem of oiling which will adequately lubricate all parts withsubstantially the proper amount of oil and at the same time make aconvenient and useful disposal of any ossible excess oil which may seeppast the ln ricating parts. Y i

The ob 'ect of the invention is accomplished by provi ing a bore throughthe center of the rotor which moves the blades of the supercharger. Fromthis rotor there lead a plurality of passages which conduct the oil tothe bearings for the supercharger blades as well as to the rotorbearings. Each end of the supercharger housing is provided with achamberhaving passages at its bottom portion from which the oil isallowed to flow to the inner portion of the supercharger housing againsta pair of floating rings, one positioned at each end of thecasing.

Each floating ring has a flange which takes the load off the tips of theblades and between.

the flange and the supercharger housing there is provided a spacefor thetrapping of the excess oil. From this space a passage leads fromeachside of the supercharger to the supercharger inlet and when the oilreaches the inlet opening the air suction due to the rotation of theblades will cause the lubricant to be drawn inside and thrown about thesupercharger housing to cause a further and adequate lubrication of theparts.

A pump is preferably used to force the lubricant and the system may beapplied to a.

superchar er of either the pivoted blade type or the radially slidableblade type.

On the accompanying draw ng,

Figure 1, is a sectional view through a supercharger showing thelubricating system applied thereto.

Figure 2, is a transverse sectional detail through a portion of rotorillustrating the metering means for'the journal connection of the rotorblades.

Figure 3, is a pers ective view of the end of one of the blades showingthe oil opening.

Figure 4, is a section on the line' 4-4 of F i ure 1.

igure 5, is a detailed view of one of the end plates inside thesupercharger.

Figure 6, is a sectional view similar to Figure 1 of a modification.

I Referring to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates a supercharger as awhole, the superchar er comprising the end portions 12 and 14 an thecentral cylindrical portion 16. Within the supercharger there is mountedthe rotor 18, secured to a shaft 20, provided with a central bore 22,which receives oil "from a pum 24 secured to and operated from the rotors aft as at 26; At lts outer periphery the rotor 18 is provided withears 30 to which are journaled the blades 28 which have ears 32 on theirends conforming to the rotor ears 30. The ears 30 and 32 are united bymeans of a hinge pin 34 which serves as an axle for the swingingmovement of the blades 28.

Leading from the bore 22 of the shaft or axle 2O of'the rotor is aplurality of radial passages 36 which terminate at agroove 38 near theouter periphery of the' rotor. In

the groove 38 there is positioned the felt.

rotor ear 30. The ears 32 of each blade 28 as well as the hinge pin 34are held in recesses 44 formed at the outer surface of the rotor.

At each end on the inside of the rotor casing there are provided thebearings 46 and 48 on each of which there is seated the annularoppositely directed peripheral flange 54 the purpose of which is toreceive the centrifugal weight or force of the blades 28 when the rotoris in operation. The flanges 54 extend into spaces 56 provided at theedge of the rotor housing.

At each end of the rotor and against the lower race of the bearings 46and 48 there are secured the discs or end plates 58 provided withrecessed portions 60 which, in connection with the end members 12 and14, form lubricating chambers.

The bore 22 in the axle 20 of the rotor is provided with suitableauxiliary passages 62 which deliver oil to the chambers 60 at the end ofthe supercharger housing. Each disc or plate 58 is provided withpassages 61 and 63 at its lower portion the purpose of the passages 61being to permit oil to flow to the end bearings 46 and 48 while thepassage 63 allows oil from the chambers 60 to flow down over the innerfaces 64 of the floating rings 52. As the oil reaches the face 64 thecentrifugal force of the rotor will fling the oil against the flange 54.Any excess oil will eventually reach the space 56 between the flange 54and the rotor casing.

Provided at the lower portion of the supercharger housing at each sidethereof are passages 66 which lead from the space 56 to the inletopening 68 of the supercharger. Any excess oil which reaches the space56 will flow through the passage 66 to the inlet opening 68 and be drawnby the suction force of the supercharger into the rotor and be thrown bythe blades 28 against the various moving parts inside the casing 10.

The operation of the lubricating system is as follows: 7

The oil will be forced by the pump 24 into the bore 22 of the axle 20from where it will flow through the passages 36 and 62 to the respectiveworking parts. From the passage 36 the oil will reach the pad 40 whichwill soak up the oil and allow a portion to pass through the opening 42to the hinge olt 34 to properly lubricate the same. The

oil flowing from the opening 62 will be received in the chambers 60 fromwhere it will flow through the passage 61 to the end bearings 46 and 48and from the passage 63 down the inner side 64 of the ring 52 to theouter periphery of the rotor. Excess lubricant will flow to the space 56and into the passage 66 and be discharged into the opening 68 to bedrawn inside the housing by the suction force of the supercharger and bethrown about by the movable blades.

Referring to the species in Figure 6, the

structure of the bearings and passages is sub 7 blades moving radiallyin and out of the.

slots 70. The rotor has the passages 36' which conduct the oil fromthe'central bore 22 to the slots 70 to lubricate the friction surfacebetween the blades 72 and the slot sides.

In Figure 6, the floating rings 52 are provided with a projection orannular flange 74 on which the oil from the opening 63 flows as itleaves the chamber 60.

The operation of the construction shown in Figure 6 is substantiallysimilar to that shown in Figure 1.

In both species of the invention substantially the exact amount of oilrequired to adequately lubricate the supercharger inay be supplied tothe working parts by properly gauging or proportioning the size of thevarious passages or bores.

I claim:

1. In a lubricating system for a superating in a housing, a pump formoving the lubricant through the system, a lubricant passage throughsaid rotor, an auxiliary passage leading from said rotor pa-a ago toconduct the lubricant to a rotor bearing. and means including a passagein the walls of said housing for conveying the lubricant from saidauxiliary passage to the tip of the blades.

2. In a lubricating system for a supercharger having a rotor operatingin bearings in a casing, a freely disposed blade supporting ring in saidcasing, a lubricant pas sage through said rotor to conduct lubricant,and a. passage in said supercharger to conductvlubricant to the innerperiphery of the casing and to the ring.

3. In a lubricating system 1' or superchargers having a blade movingrotor mounted in hearings in a casing, a freely rotatable bladesupporting ring at each end of thecasing, a lubricant passage in saidrotor, and passages in said supercharger adapted to receive lubricantfrom said rotor passage and to conduct the lubricant to the rotorbearings', the ring and the tips of the blades.

4. In a lubricating system for a supercharger, a rotor having blades andmounted in bearings in a casing, a pump for moving lubricant through thesystem, a passage in said rotor for conducting the oil from the pump, aplate secured at each end of the supercharg'er, a freely mounted orfloating ring at each end of the rotor held in position by said-plates,and passages in said plates for conducting lubricant from said rotorpassage to the floating ring and rotor bearings.

llltl llll) 5. The structure of claim 4, said plates and casing wallsdefining lubricant chambers and said plate passages connected With saidchambers.

6. In a lubricating system for a supercharger having a rotor havingblades operating in a housing, a pump or moving the lubricant throughthe system, a lubricant passage through said rotor, an auxiliary passageI leadin from said rotor passage to conduct the lubricant to a rotorbearing, means for conveying the lubricant from said auxiliary passageto the tip of the blades, and means for conducting excess lubricant tothe supercharger inlet.

7. In a lubricating system for a supercharger having a rotor operatingin bearings in a casing, a freely disposed blade supporting ring in saidcasing, a lubricant passage through said rotor to conduct lubricant, apassage in said supercharger to conduct lubricant to the inner peripheryof the casing and to the ring, and means in said casing to conductexcess lubricant to the supercharger inlet.

8. In a lubricating system for a supercharger having a rotor operatingin bearings in a casing, a freely disposed blade supporting ring in saidcasing, a lubricant passage through said rotor to conduct lubricant, apassage in said supercharger to conduct lubricant to the inner peripheryof the casing and to the ring, and an additional passage in thesupercharger for conducting lubricant to the rotor bearings.

9. Ina lubricating system for a supercharger having a rotor operating inhearings in a casing, a freely disposed blade supporting ring in saidcasing, a lubricant assage through said rotor to conduct lubricant, a

, 1passage in said supercharger to conduct luricant to the innerperiphery of the casing and to the ring, and a passage in said casingfor conducting excess lubricant to the supercharger inlet.

10. In a lubricating system for a supercharger having a rotor operatingin bearings in a casing, a freely disposed blade supporting ring in saidcasing, a lubricant passage through said rotor to conduct lubricant, apassage in said superchar er to conduct luricant to the inner perip cryof the casing and to the ring, and a flan e on said ring to take thecentrifugal load 0% the rotor blades, said supercharger passagesupplying lubricant to the contacting surfaces of said blades and ring.

11. In a lubricating system for superchargers having a blade movingrotor mounted in bearings-in a casing, a freely rotatable bladesupporting ring at each end of the casing, a lubricant passage in. saidrotor, passages in said supercharger adapted to receive lubricant fromsaid rotor passage and to conduct the lubricant to the rotor bearings,the

ring and the tips of the blades, and means in the supercharger casingfor conducting the excess lubricant to the supercharger inlet.

12. In a lubricating system for superchargers having a blade movingrotor mounted in hearings in a casing, a freely rotatable bladesuppprting ring at each end of the casing, a In ricant assage in saidrotor, passa es in said supercharger adapted to receive ubricant fromsaid rotor passage and to conduct the lubricant to the rotor bearings,the rin and the tips of the blades, and means in said rotor forconducting lubricant from said rotor passage to the frictional surfacesbetween the rotor and blades.

13. In a lubricating system for superchargers having a blade movingrotor mounted in hearings in a casing, a freel rotatable blade suporting ring at each end of the casing, a In ricant passage in saidrotor, pass s in said supercharger adapted to receive ubricant from saidrotor passa e and to conduct the lubricant to the rotor arings, the ringand the tips of the blades, and a pump for forcin the lubricant throughthe system.

14. n a lubricating system for superchargers having a rotor, a pluralityof blades hinged to the rotor, a lubricant passage in the rotor, aplurality of passages connecting with said rotor passage and extendingradiallg to the hinged connection of the blades with t e rotor, apassage in the blade at the hinged portion to lubricate the same, and apad at the inged connection to distribute the oil and serve as an airseal.

a In testimony whereof I aflix my si ature.

DAVID GR GG.

